Assessing Needs:

Building on the Case History and Identifying Goals

Case History/Person Profile

• This outcome is assessed by an assignment consisting of the production of a profile of an adult with dyslexia or showing dyslexic traits, who is being supported by the candidate in a learning or workplace setting.

• Word Count: Min 500 / Max 1000• Succinct; accurate; relevant

Case History/Person Profile

• Candidates must gain a full picture of the supported adult’s learning history in order to understand the impact dyslexia has had on their life and learning.

• They must also ascertain what interventions have been used in the past as well as what the supported adult is using at present. This will involve looking at what has worked and what has not before looking at developing new strategies for use with the supported adult.

Compiling a Case History

• Early/primary years• Secondary school• FE/HE• Post-school learning• Relevant Health info• Relevant personal life

info• Workplace

• Dyslexia screening/ evidence

• Reason for support being sought

• Screening tools used/results

• Learning Styles• Current strategies

Diagnostics

Function

Observation

Presentation

Prompting questions:

• Tell me about…• Can you explain that to me…• You said that you find … difficult – can you tell

me more about that?• Describe how you go about…• If you were asked to do … how would you go

about it?

Submissions

• Via email to nhardie@brite.ac.uk

• Submission date: 13th February 2013

Action Planning

Case History

Identify goals

Plan Actions

The Key Element

• While similar to a Personal Learning Plan or a Needs Assessment Report, the Action Plan that you are developing should focus around the identification of relevant goals that the individual can work towards, the accomplishment of which will enable the individual to be a more effective and competent learner/worker.

Action Planning

• Facilitate the identification of relevant and achievable goals and priorities [examples?]

• Break these down into smaller steps• Identify successful strategies and approaches that

the individual has used before and can apply here• Consider practicalities of support – content,

strategies, sequence, pace, materials, venue…• Built-in review process – how will you know when

the goals have been achieved?

Setting Goals

• Be careful to avoid setting unrealistic goals, which may lead to pressure, frustration, failure…

• Goals should be manageable, progressive, flexible – and should be developed in partnership between the support tutor and the individual.

What sort of goals?

• Focused and quantifiable• Can be addressed specifically and measurably

• You may need to start with a bigger goal (I want to pass my course) and break this down a number of times

Case Study – Breakout Activity

A student identifies the goal of passing his course. However, he has issues with time management and organisational skills. He has difficulties proof reading his work. He has difficulty planning and structuring has assignments.

Choose one area to focus on, identify a specific goal and break this down into a series of manageable and measurable steps.

Potential Issues

• What are the individual’s expectations?

• What if I cannot think of an appropriate strategy to help?

• What if the plan has to change?

Action Planning – The Process

• How do you actually develop the action plan?• Is identifying goals and strategies something

you have experience of as a dyslexia support tutor?

• What ‘tools’ do you use for this?

Post-session Activity

• Identify a goal for yourself – for this course, your work, hobbies, or anything at all

• Break the goal down into smaller targets• Choose one of these to focus on, and develop a number of

steps and actions that you can take to move towards achieving the bigger goal

• Post your reflections on the process – not the details of your goal or tasks

• How easy was it? Did you identify more detail than you expected? Consider how you might facilitate this process for others.